The Visit

Disclaimer: I own nothing!!

"I think I am going to ask her out," said Hisagi.

"Ask who out, Hisagi-san?" wondered Kira as he nursed a glass of gin. They were at one of the many restaurants that dotted Seireitei.

"Rangiku-san," said Hisagi, "Haven't you been listening? She's been really upset over Ichimaru. I mean they were suppose to be friends ever since their academy days. I always wanted to ask her out. This is as good a time as any. War is coming. A war in which I have to face my captain and she her old friend and classmate..."

"Lover," corrected Kira, as he looked away to hide his blush.

"What?" exclaimed Hisagi, a little stunned and not quite believing what he just heard.

"They were lovers, Hisagi-san," said Kira, "And they don't just go back to their academy days. They have known each other for most of their life."

"How do you know this?" demanded Hisagi, "I have never heard about them being lovers. I mean sure there were rumors but if the rumors are to be believed then I have been with Rangiku-san for ages as well!"

"I was his vice-captain," Kira pointed out, "While I am clearly a dense fool who didn't notice a lot of things, I did notice how they used to look at each other. I know she loves him and I thought he loved her too... but..." he sighed, "Whichever way Hisagi-san please don't approach her now. I don't think Matsumoto-san is ready for anyone else. Even if she does go with you now, it'll just be because she's on a massive rebound and there's a good chance you'll both end up getting hurt."

"Well if what you say is true then yeah I can't ask her out now," Hisagi sighed, "You sure about this Kira?"

"Yes, I am sure," replied Kira.

"I am sure you would know Kira but I always thought Ichimaru was gay," Hisagi informed him.

Kira blinked, "Wha... what? Why would you say that!"

"Well there has always been rumours about you and Ichimaru," said Hisagi tentatively.

Kira was stunned, "That's ridiculous! I mean, putting aside the fact that I have never even thought about being with a man, while I have always thought the Captain was an attractive man and walking personification of sex appeal and seduction, I have never thought of him like that! Not once! I mean, I wish I could be like him. Be that beautiful, that stunning and be able to hold the attention of someone like Matsumoto-san exclusively but... touch the captain... like that..." Kira looked scandalized and more then a little sick, "That's just sick! He's my captain for crying out loud!"

Hisagi couldn't help but laugh, "Kira, you just called him an attractive, beautiful and stunning man who is the personification of sex appeal and seduction. If you have been using those words to describe your captain, no wonder people have been wondering if you and Ichimaru got up to more then just paperwork in that shared office of yours."

Kira looked even more scandalized, "But we didn't!"

"I believe you," said Hisagi still laughing, "But you do seem to have a crush on the guy."

Kira shook his head, "It's not like that. At least it's not romantic. I did... no, unfortunately I still do love the captain. But it was never romantic and I wouldn't want it to be. It would ruin things. I am too submissive and way too devoted. A relationship between me and the captain of that nature would just end in pain and heartache for both of us. I would lose myself, Hisagi-san, if I was in a relationship with him. I don't think you can be happy in a relationship in which you don't have a strong sense of yourself and the Captain isn't the type to like someone like that as his partner. I mean, sure he loves manipulating people but if it's too easy then it isn't really fun for him," Kira buried his face in his hand, "Probably why he cast me aside," said Kira, "I was no longer fun for him to play with. So like a toy he has grown bored with, I was thrown away."

"You seem to have given this a lot of thought," commented Hisagi.

"Not really," said Kira, "At least not the part about me and the captain having a romantic relationship, that stuff I thought-up after you mentioned it," he assured Hisagi, "But about losing myself in a relationship because the person I am with commands too much of my submission and devotion... that came from my parents. My mother was just so... so... I don't know how to describe it. But she didn't have a single opinion of her own. If you asked her what her favorite colour was, she would turn to my father and ask him what her favorite colour was and if he wasn't in the room she would put off answering till she had, had a chance to ask him what her favorite colour was. I don't think even she knew if she was happy or unhappy. Such a question would be meaningless to her. She was the wife of Kira Kagekiyo and the wife of Kira Kagekiyo had no business being unhappy. It was no surprise she followed my father to the grave. She had no sense of self other then being his wife," Kira sighed again and closed his eyes in exhaustion, "I have no delusions about my personality and what I am like around the captain. No, the Captain and Matsumoto-san are a thousand times better for each other. They are both so strong, they don't lose themselves while they are together. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Matsumoto-san would take the captain's death well but I don't think it would be because she would have no sense of self without him. It would be more that without him, there would be a such a hole in her life that it would be impossible to fill. I hope that makes sense and you see the difference."

"I understand," replied Hisagi, "Well some of it anyway. I mean, I thought I would understand what you and Hinamori would feel because I lost my captain too but the more time I spend with you Kira, the more I understand that I have no freaking clue how you feel and I probably have no clue how Hinamori feels either. Our relationships with our respective captains were so startlingly different. Captain Tosen was a mentor to me. A wise teacher but while he taught me a lot, we didn't exactly share our hopes and dreams. I would have no clue about his personal life. I only knew about his friend's grave because he visited it quite often. I don't even know what her name was. Neither does Captain Komamura and he and Tosen were friends for a long time. I mean, the only reason he knew how I got my scars was because I was affiliated with squad nine when I got them! You and Ichimaru on the other hand seems to have had a more personal relationship."

"It wasn't consistent," Kira informed him, "But every now and then I would catch the Captain in an odd mood and he would just talk. It was usually at night, I would walk out in to the garden and find the captain just sitting and staring at the stars and the moon, if it was up. Most of the time he called me over to him, sometimes I had the nerve to go over and offer my company. He always accepted and we usually ended up talking about things. Mostly our childhoods. Almost all his stories had Matsumoto-san in them and most of the time he went to her instead of the returning to his room when we were done talking. I thought he loved her, but maybe he didn't. Maybe it was all an illusion, a lie made up by my mind. Just like his visit."

Hisagi blinked, "His visit? What the hell do you mean?"

"The other day, when I was visiting Matsumoto-san," said Kira, "After she fell asleep I thought the Captain came to visit her. I tried to stop him, I couldn't of course. I thought I saw him caress Matsumoto-san and take her pink scarf. We talked a little, him and me. I told him about how I turned him into a phone for Shinigami Men's Association. He asked me if I really missed him that much. Then told me I would be fine and," Kira ran a hand through his hair, "Kissed me softly on the head before leaving. It felt so real! But I woke up the next morning with a massive headache, I don't know how much I had to drink but I must have drank a lot. At first, at first I almost fooled myself into thinking that the captain really had come because Matsumoto-san couldn't find her scarf but..." Kira sighed, "Later that day I saw her with her scarf and realized that it must have all been a drunken illusion. I must have noticed at some...." before he could complete his sentence he found himself hauled-up and pushed against the nearest wall by Soifon.

"What did you say?" asked Soifon, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Wha... what... Captain Soifon you are hurting me!" cried Kira.

"Rangiku did lose her scarf," Ise Nanao, who stood behind Soifon, informed him, "She couldn't find it anywhere. So we made some time in the morning to go shopping to buy a new one."

"Which means," said Soifon, "That traitorous snake really did sneak into Seireitei," she effortlessly tossed Kira at Nanao's feet, "Ise I am going to go inform the Captain-commander and then go beat up my Onmitsukido captains for allowing this breach of security. Arrest Kira and throw him in the squad eight holding cells pending investigation. Hisagi, assist Vice-captain Ise and secure Vice-captain Kira's zanpakuto."

"What!" cried Hisagi, "Kira did try to stop him and he was drunk..."

"Are you questioning my orders, Vice-captain?" demanded Soifon, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Hisagi back peddled, "No ma'am... it's just that..."

"Then shut-up and do as you're told. You might be the acting captain of the Ninth but till you have achieved Bankai you and I will not be equals. So go!" Soifon ordered.

"Yes ma'am," replied Hisagi stung to his core at her declaration, approaching Kira he whispered, "I am sorry, Kira."

But Kira just had a deliriously happy look on his face, "He came," he whispered, "He really did come. It wasn't an illusion. It was all real."

Author's note: Well I wasn't going to have a chapter 2 for this fic but I sort of felt like writing this and didn't feel like clogging up category space by making a new fic so I decided to write things so this turned into chapter 2. I mean, this is such an unpopular fic that it's not exactly going to ruin things by having an extra chapter.